Gas pilot for oil burners



June 14,. 1932.

A. J. FRAME GAS PILOT. vi'oR on. nunnsns Filed March 18, 1931 gwvmtoz ZI I I A AJF'rame Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES AUGUSTUS J. FRAME,

or corms/inns, OHIO GAS PILOT FOR OIL BURNERS Application filed March18, 1931.

This invention relates broadly to oil burning apparatus and especiallyto oil burners of the automatic type utilized for residence and in othertypes of buildings for heating purposes. In the operation of such oilburning apparatus, it is customary to employ small pilot flames in theoil vaporizing and combustion chambers whereby this constantly burningfuel, as supplied by the pilot, is employed to initiate combustion tothe main oil supply which is intermittently delivered to the vaporizingand combustion chambers.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a gas burningpilot wherein provision is made for carburetting the gaseous fuelsupplied thereto with air in such a manner that an eflicient combustiblemixture is produced by which a strong, positively maintained andrelatively high temperature pilot flame is produced and one which is notlikely to accidentally be extinguished when subjected .to the drafts orintermittent air currents prevailing in the combustion chamber of an oilburner, to the end that the operation of the pilot flame may be of asustained, constant and reliable character and completely adequate atall times to perform its required functions. 4

In certain types of oil burners adapted especially for residence heatingpurposes, the combustion chamber comprises an open topped vessel intothe bottom of which oil is fed by automatically controlled means and theoil vaporized. Extending upwardly and centrally from the bottom of sucha chamber is an air distributor or riser by which air is forced underpressure in streams or jets through the vaporized oil arising from thebottom of the chamber to produce the principal combustible mixture. Theair distributor consists of a substantially tubular member which has itslower end removably received within a vertical bearing prox'ided inconnection with the lower portion of the combustion vessel, and it is afurther object of the invention to mountin connection with said airdistributor a pilot burner which maybe removed bodily with thedistributor from the combustion vessel, in order to facilitate cleaningof the distributor and the removal Serial N0. 523,525.

of carbon compounds, when formed, from the Walls of the combustionchamber and the distributor. 4

It is another object of the invention to provide a pilot burner for thepurpose specified which, when in operation, produces a Bunsen flame ofhigh temperature and at the same time maintains an effective flameutilizing but a small quantity of a gaseous fuel in order that itsoperation may be both reliable and economical.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction, combination of elements and arrangements of partshereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of oil burning apparatus, wherein is employedv,jthe pilot burner comprising the present invention; Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view talren through the combustionvessel and its associated air distributor and disclosing the operatingposition of the pilot burner in connection therewith;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the pilot burner andassociated parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates anoil burner of the type adapted for installation in the heating furnacesof residences and other buildings. The burner depicted is shown ascomprising a vaporizing or combustion vessel 2. This vessel consists ofa circular cast iron structure having abottom 3 and an open top. Thecircular side wall 4 of the vessel is provided adjacent to its upperandouter end with an annular flange 5, which is seated upon a correspondingflange 6, formed with the upper portion of a supporting casing 7. Thiscasing is connected by means of a conduit 8 with a source of forced airsupply (not shown) such as a motor driven fan. a

The bottom of the vessel 2 is spaced from the bottom of the casing 7 asshown in Fig. 2, and air entering the casing passes upwardly through anupstanding sleeve 9 formed axially and centrally in connection with thebottom wall 3 of said vessel. Removably positioned in the upper portionof the sleeve 9 is a riser or air distributor 10 which is formed with anopen bottom and a closed top. The air distributor is provided with twoor more vertically spaced circular heads 11, which are provided with aplurality of ports by which streams or jets of air are directedoutwardly and radially from the air distributor to combine with thevaporized oil released from the bottom of the vessel 2, whereby toproduce the main combustible mixture. A secondary body of air issupplied to this mixture by providing the flange 5 with a plurality ofup wardly and inwardly inclined ports 12, which latter direct streams'ofair into the primary combustible mixture produced in the vessel toeffect substantially smokeless combustion of the carburetted fueltogether with a minimum of carbon formation. While the oil burner ispreferably of the construction shown and described, nevertheless it willbe understood that the present invention, which is directed to a gasburning pilot, is not necessarily limited for use in connectiontherewith, and the oil burning mechanism thus set forth has beenselected primarily for purposes of facilitating an understanding of theinvention and its manner of use and practical adaptation.

An oil supply pipe line is shown at 13 and leads from a source of oilsupply (not shown),

- the flow of oil through the pipe being regulated preferably by anysuitable automatic means, not illustrated, by which oil is deliveredthrough the line 13 either under gravity or pressure in regulatedquantities and in periods of intermittent flow. Such oil controlmechanism has been disclosed in my copending application filed Oct. 18,1930, Serial No. 489,635, and inasmuch as it "does not constitute a partof the present invention, an illustration thereof is not here deemednecessary.

'The oil is delivered to the bottom of the vessel 2 to produce arelatively thin film or body of an extended surface permitting of thefree vaporization of the oil when the burner isin operation. When theoil burner is inactive, oil flow to the vessel is arrested so thatduring idle periods, no substantial, guantities of oil are maintained inthe vessel.

11 fact, the operation of the gas pilot is such as to efiect combustionof the remaining traces of oil following the discontinuan 3 of oil. flowto the vessel.

The pilot burner consists of a tube 14 having a substantially horizontalportion arranged within the lower part of the distribu- ,tor 10 andpassing through an opening 15 in the wall of said distributor. Thatportion of the tube which projects beyond the wall of the distributor isdirected downwardly at a wide angle to the horizontal and terminates ina position slightly above the bottom 3 of the vessel 2. The inner end ofthe horizontal portion of the tube is threaded into an elbow fitting 16,and the opposite threaded end of this fitting receives the reduced upperthreadtributor 10, and the threading of the elbow fitting 16 on theupper end of the mixer draws this shoulder into firm engagement with theunder side of the strap 19,- as well as maintaining the fitting 16 infirm frictional co'ntact with the upper surface of the strap 19. By thisconstruction, it will be seen that the mixer, the elbow fitting 16 andthe tube 14 are unitarily connected with the air distributor and aremovable bodily in unison therewithso that when the distributor isremoved from its connection with the sleeve 9, the pilot burner partsconnected therewith are likewise removed.

The mixer is provided with a vertical orifice 20 which terminates in alarge bore 21, and loosely positioned within this bore and slightlyspaced from the walls thereof is a tip fitting 22, which is alsoprovided with an orifice 23 arranged in vertical registration but spacedfrom the orifice 20. The fitting 22 is positioned upon a strap 24secured to the under side of the bottom 3, and the bottom of the fitting22 includes an integral threaded projection 25, loosely positioned inand projecting through an opening formed centrally in the strap 24. Thelower portion of this projection 25 is connected with an elbow 26, towhich is connected a gas supply pipe 27, leading from a suitable sourceof gas supply. The gas supply line may be provided with a suitable valve(not shown) for regulating gas flow through the line and to the pilotburner.

Gas flows through the line 27 under ordinary main pressure and'passes athigh velocity through the restricted orifice 23 and hence through thesomewhat larger orifice 20 formed in the mixer 18. This operation drawsair from the'atmosphere into the mixer by way of the channel providedbetween the spaced walls of the tip fitting 22 and the inner wallsforming the lower portion of the mixer so that the air is added to thegas stream, producing a highly combustible mixture of the Bunsen type.This carburetted mixture. then passes through the fitting 16 and throughthe tube 14' and combustion thereof takes place at the outer end of thetube. This operation should normally produce a blue colored pilot flameof high temperature and of a sustained unfluctuating character. Thebottom of the vessel 2 may be provided with mineral wool or the likeupon which. the pilot flame is directed, as indicated at 28, whichprotects the bottom of the vessel and in a wick like manner operatesered to the vessel.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention providesa pilot burner for oil burning apparatus which is of simple andeflicient construction and may be placed in the combustion chamber ofoil burning apparatus of the character referred to'in a compact out ofthe way manner to avoid obstructing or interfering with the operation ofsuch apparatus. In the event that it is desired to service or clean thevessel 2, or the distributor, the said distributor may be removed fromthe vessel carrying the upper portion of the pilot burner therewith.This afiords complete accessibility to the combustion chamber of thevessel, providing for the ready removal of carbon or other depositedoperation obstructing matter.

What is claimed is:

1. In oil burning apparatus, a combustion registering sections, one ofsaid sections being carried by said distributor and the other by saidvessel, said pilot terminating in a downwardly and an'gularly directedextension which projects from said distributor and terminates in spacedrelationship from the bottom wall of said vessel.

6. In oil burning apparatus, a combustion vessel having a bottom wall, aside wall and ,an open top, said bottom wall being providedsubstantially centrally thereof with an upstanding sleeve, a verticalair distributor arrangedwithin said vessel and having its lower endremovably received within the upper portion of said sleeve, a gasburning pilot comprising a stationary section carried by said vessel anddisposed within said sleeve, and a removable section carried by saiddistributor, said sections being provided with spaced separableinterfittin portions, means for delivering a gaseous uel to the pilot,the spacing of said sections providing a passage for admitting of theintroduction of air into the gaseous fuel passing through the sectionsof said pilot.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AUGUSTUS J. FRAME.

2. In oil burning apparatus, an oil re- I ceiving vessel, a separableair distributor mounted on said vessel, and a pilot burner formed toinclude registering separable sections, one of said sections beingmounted on said distributor and the other of said sections being carriedby said vessel.

3. In oil burning apparatus, a combustion vessel, a vertical airdistributor arranged within said vessel and having its lower endseparably connected therewith, a pilot burner comprising interfittingseparable sections, one of said sections being connected with saiddistributor and the other of said sections with said vessel, and meansadmitting of the admixture of air with a gaseous fuel passing throughsaid burner sections.

4. In oil burning apparatus, a combustion vessel having a bearing sleeveformed centrally thereof, an air distributor positioned verticallywithin said vessel and having its lower end removably positioned in saidsleeve, a pilot burner comprising a pair of interfitting separable,sections, one of said sections being mounted on said distributorand theother of said sections on said vessel, means for supplying a gaseousfuel to said burner sections, and means admitting of the commingling ofair with the gaseous fuel passing through said burner sections.

5. In oil burning apparatus, a combustion vessel provided with abearing, a distributor arranged vertically in said vessel and having thelower portion thereof removably received within said bearing, and aBunsen type gas burning pilot comprising separable

